The Urban Leases Law (LAU) decreed in March 2019 that rental contracts would be extended from three to five years. Now that thousands of contracts are expiring, the situation has worsened compared to five years ago: the price of housing as a speculative asset continues to rise, fueled by demand far exceeding supply. According to figures from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, island tenants whose contracts end at that time will face a rent increase of €4,615 per year. This increase adds to an already unsustainable situation for many families: the average rent in the Balearic Islands exceeds €1,500, the second highest in Spain after Barcelona. Experts consulted by ARA Balears warn of an increase in legal proceedings stemming not from non-payment of rent, but from the termination of these agreements. "The cases are becoming more and more numerous. The landlord wants to rent at a higher price or sell, and the tenant won't leave because they have nowhere else to go. Evictions are being initiated for this reason," says Natalia Bueno, vice president of the Balearic Islands Association of Real Estate Agents (API). "Some landlords even offer a sum of money to get tenants to leave the apartment, but the response is always the same. They tell you that 2,000 or 3,000 euros, for example, isn't going to solve anything," Bueno explains regarding a deterrent practice previously limited to occupied properties.